1936 - WIFE VS. SECRETARY, a typical 1930's MGM drama

In many ways this is a typical MGM drama from "the good old days," sometimes called a "women's picture."  Wife Vs. Secretary is the kind of undemanding stuff MGM regularly pumped out for the movie going public.  For the most part a high class soap opera with top production values, big stars and a really trite plot.

 

Here we go.  Clark Gable is a high powered magazine editor who is married to his wife played by a glamorous Myrna Loy.  Clark is a wheeler dealer who has a devoted secretary played by MGM's resident 1930's sex bomb Jean Harlow.  Through lots of plot contrivances people suspect that Gable is having an affair with Harlow.  But Clark is devoted to his wife.  How do we know this?  Well Clark sticks jewelry in her food which she fishes out which apparently demonstrates his love for her.

 

Also showing up in this film is a young James Stewart in a supporting role playing Harlow's fiance. He gets real jealous over the amount of time Jean is spending with Clark.  Well one thing leads to another and lots of misunderstandings later Myrna thinks Clark is having an affair and is ready to leave him by taking a boat cruise to Cuba or somewhere in the Caribbean. 

 

It all works out in the end because it's an MGM picture made for the middle class.  Clearly the plot should have been that Clark has an affair with Jean and then has to work out his issues with Myrna to fix his marriage.  But this is an MGM picture and they are not about to endorse infidelity and bad mouth marriage. The film is kind of silly stuff.  Clarence Brown was one of MGM's best studio directors so the film is at the very least well made.

The talented writers involved in this film were John Lee Mahin, Norman Krasna and Alice Duer Miller. The running time is 88 minutes and fortunately not a minute longer.

1928 - THE TRAIL OF 98, a spectacular silent film

Clarence Brown's spectacular epic about the Klondike gold rush was filmed on a large scale.  Almost every scene has a large scale quality to it.  The story involves a group traveling to Alaska in search of gold and encountering many hardships along the way.

 

The film was also a hardship to make behind the camera.  Thousands of men were employed in a spectacular scene climbing a mountain pass in -60 degree weather.  Another scene involved a river rapids stunt which ended up killing 4 stuntmen.  Watching the out of control river with boats sailing down it is impressive and rather frightening.

The film stars early Harry Carey and Dolores Del Rio.  Carey went on to be associated with John Ford early in Ford's career.  Del Rio was one of the most beautiful women to grace the screen.

This silent film has that weird synchronized sound track where there is music and background noise but no actual actors mouthing dialog.  Still, this is an extremely impressive film which ranks up there with other epic film.

The screenplay was by Joseph Farnham. Benjamin Glazer, Robert Service and Waldemar Young, the film runs 97 minutes.

1939 - THE RAINS CAME - another impressive film from 20th Century Fox and Darryl F Zanuck

Another well made classic Hollywood film from 20th Century Fox and in particular Darryl F. Zanuck . When Zanuck found a story he felt was good he would bring all of the resources of 20th Century Fox to the production.

Zanuck hired MGM studio director Clarence Brown.  Brown was a film director who brought out the best in actors and knew how to produce quality work within the studio system.  Zanuck put together an excellent cast which included Tyrone Power, Nigel Bruce, Myrna Loy and George Brent.  Zanuck also spent lavishly on the sets and the special effects which still look very good.

The story involves a rather chaste romance between an Englishwoman and an Indian doctor played.  If everyone in the film is for the most part played by Caucasian actors, well that's Hollywood casting in the 1930's I guess.

The fact that a 77 year old film can still hold up and be involving is a tribute to Zanuck's skill as a producer.   Zanuck always knew that when it was all said and done a good story was the most important aspect in putting together an interesting and good drama. 

103 minutes.